World news in brief, 3/14

SEOUL — North Korea's first public, senior-level mention of South Korea's first female president ended up being a sexist jab. The body that controls North Korea's military complained Wednesday about the "venomous swish" of her skirt.

But despite that swipe, and a continuing torrent of rhetoric from Pyongyang threatening nuclear war and other mayhem, President Park Geun-hye is sticking by her campaign vow to reach out to North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, and to send the country much-needed humanitarian aid.

It was the first government criticism of Park to be reported by major North Korean media since her Dec. 19 election.

The term "swish of skirt" is often used in Korean to describe women acting in a way seen as overly aggressive, such as housewives trying to micromanage all aspects of their children's educations.

Germany

Authorities move against extremists

BERLIN — German authorities banned three ultraconservative Islamic groups Wednesday and separately announced they had foiled a suspected assassination attempt by Islamic extremists against a prominent far-right politician.

The groups banned included one whose Internet propaganda videos helped inspire the extremist who killed two American airmen at Frankfurt airport in 2011, the country's domestic intelligence chief said. Police launched early morning raids on 21 apartments and one meeting room belonging to DawaFFM, Islamic Audios and al-Nussrah — all of which adhere to the hard-core conservative Salafi interpretation of Islam.

In an operation unrelated to the ban on the groups, police arrested four men overnight on suspicion of planning to murder the leader of a far-right fringe party known as pro-NRW.

Two of them men were arrested in a vehicle near the home of pro-NRW leader Markus Beisicht in Leverkusen, police said in a statement. Two other men were arrested when police searched private properties in Essen and Bonn, where a firearm and "material suitable for the manufacture of explosives" were found.

Pakistan

Soldier stoned to death by tribesmen

PESHAWAR — Tribesmen tied a Pakistani soldier to the hood of a car and stoned him to death in the country's restive northwest for allegedly having a romantic relationship with a local woman, government officials and a tribal elder said Wednesday.

The grisly incident took place Tuesday in Parachinar, the capital of the Kurram tribal area, which is dominated by conservative Pashtun tribesmen.

The soldier, Nooruddin Aalam, allegedly began his relationship with the woman during a previous posting in the area, said a local government official. He was transferred elsewhere three months ago but returned to see the woman in recent days, said the official.

Residents allegedly caught the couple dating, said a local tribal elder. Leaders of various tribes met Monday and decided the soldier should be executed according to Islamic law, said the elder.